Refrigerator doorlock



May 14, 1935. E. WILLIAMS REFRIGERATOR DOORLOCK Filed March 24, 1933 2Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1935. L. E. WILLIAMS v 2,001,403

REFRIGERATOR DOORLOCK Filed March 24, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J/adezvZZm.Ze

in the case of refrigerator doors.

Patented May 14, 1935 PATENT. OFFICE REFRIGERATOR DOORLOCK Leroy E.Williams, Edgerton, Wis., assignor to Highway Trailer Company, Edgerton,W1s., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 24,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to latching and locking means for closures, andparticularly in situations where it is essential that such closures besnug and substantially air-tight, as for example, The structures hereinillustrated are especially designed for use on such doors when installedupon railway cars or truck or trailer bodies, and for such use oneobject of the invention is to provide latching means which shall notinvolve any projection from the surface of the outer wall of thevehicle. Another object is to include means operated in conjunction withthe release of the lock for initiating the opening movement of the door.A further object is to provide actuating means for the look at an easilyaccessible position, and of such nature as to require special keys ortools, thus rendering the lock substantially theft-proof.

The invention consists of certain features and elements of constructionin combination as herein shown and described, and as indicated by theclaims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a car or vehicle bodyshowing a door equipped with one form of lock embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 22 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1, showing in dottedoutline a modified form of lock and latching device.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of the mechanism shown in dotted outline inFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a. vertical detail section.

Figure 6 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale, showing theactuating connection applicable to either of the forms of latchingmechanism shown in the preceding figures.

Figure 7 is a transverse detail section taken as indicated at line 1-1on Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the receptacle for theoperatingwrench.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the socket portion of the wrench.

Figure 10 is a side elevation of a trailer vehicle of the type for whichthe invention is designed, and indicates the location of the lock andactuating connection on the vehicle body.

The latching devices to which this invention is directed have beenespecially designed for use on doors of motor trucks and trailers whichtravel on the highways and frequently pass roadside structures or othervehicles with very slight clearance. It is therefore important thathandles and locks associated with such doors shall not have 1933, SerialNo. 662,476

projecting parts likely to be broken ofi or damaged in passing fixed ormoving objects. And to prevent damage to these parts from any shiftingof the load within the vehicle, it is preferable that the lockingmechanism be mounted within the thickness of the wall. To avoidexteriorly projecting parts, these devices are designed to be operatedby a removable wrench or key applied to the end of an actuating shaftwhich extends downwardly through the fioor or sill of the vel0 hiclebody.

As shown in Figure 1, the door, I, is hinged at 2, and its free edge isfitted with one or more curved rack sections, 3, adapted to mesh withcorresponding gears, 4, which are carried on a vertil5 cally extendingshaft, 5, mounted in the jamb of the door-way. As indicated in Figure 2,the diameter of the gears, 4, is such that they are contained whollywithin the thickness of the wall,

6. With this gear arrangement the teeth of the 20 racks, 3, will comeinto mesh with those of the gears, 4, automatically, as the door, I, isswung to closed position, and if the door should become stuck or frozenin closed position, the forcible rotation of the shaft, 5, will tend tofree it. Such 25 rotation is effected by means of a removable wrench orkey comprising a' socket portion, I, having interior ribs or splines,,8,as seen in Figure 9, and having a handle which is partially shown at IIIin said figure.

To retain the door in locked position, the lower end of the shaft, 5, isfitted with a terminal member, II, having ratchet teeth, I2, which areengaged by detent dogs, I3, urged into holding position by springs, I4,as shown in Figure 7. The 35 lower surfaces of these dogs, I3, arebeveled at I5, and one end of the wrench socket, I, is correspondinglybeveled at I6 so that when the wrench is entered over the splined endportion,

I8, of the terminal fitting, II, for rotating the 40 shaft, 5, itsbeveled portion, I6, contacts with the beveled surface, I5, and spreadsthe detent dogs out of engagement with the teeth, I2. This permits thewrench to turn the shaft, 5, in the direction for opening the door, I.For closing the 45 door the operator will preferably apply to thesplined terminal, I8, the opposite end of the wrench socket, I, whichterminates in a square or abrupt shoulder at I9, and is not adapted forspreading the ratchet detents, I3; thus the de- 50 tents act yieldinglyin their intended manner for holding the shaft, 5, and gears, 4, atlocking position.

As seen in Figures 6, 7 and 8, the splined terminal, In. for the shaft,5, is centrally located in an annular housing, 20, having an externalflange, 2 I, by which it is secured to the under surface, 22, of thefloor or sill, 23. The chamber in which the terminal, I8, stands, may beclosed by a cap, 24, fitted with a suitable lock which is not shown indetail. By means of this cap, the housing may be closed and lockedagainst theft, so that when the-door, I, is secured in locked position,it'will be not only necessary to pick the lock of the 'cap, 24, andremove the cap, but the thief will also require a special wrench adaptedto interlock with the splines of the member, I8, and beveled orotherwise formed for releasing the ratchet detents, l3.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a modified form of latching mechanism inwhich the upright shaft, 25, is fitted with bevel gears, 26, eachmeshing with a bevel gear, 21, on a short shaft, 28, journaled in thejamb, 29, of the doorway. On the inner face ofthe door, 30, andpreferably disposed within the total thickness, I provide notchedkeepers in the form of brackets, 3 I, each having an obliquely disposedopen slot or notch, 32; and each of the shafts, 28, terminates in acrank, 33, mounted in position to enter one of the notches, 32, when theshaft, 28, is rotated. Simultaneous rotation of the cranks, 33, by meansof the shaft, ,25, swings said cranks into locking position, engagingthe notches, 32, as seen in Figure 5, and rotation of the shaft, 25, inthe opposite direction throws the cranks, 33, out of these slots, 32, tothe positions indicated in dotted lines in Figure 5. Adjacent the innerends of the slots, 32, they are slightly eccentric at 32, with respectto the arcs in which the cranks, 33, swing so that as said cranksapproach their limiting positions they act cam-wise to crowd the doorshut. When the cranks are rotated in the opposite direction, afteremerging from the slots, 32, they encounter the eccentric surfaces, 32facing inwardly on the door, and as the cranks traverse these camsurfaces they forcibly initiate the opening movement of the door. Thisis of special advantage if the door should be frozen shut, as frequentlyhappens in the case of refrigerator doors. In the same way the camsurfaces, 32*, permit the door to be forced into closed position so thatit shall be tightly sealed to prevent leakage of heat into therefrigerator compartment.

As indicated in Figure 10, the placing of the housing, 20, on an undersurface of the vehicle body, avoids any projecting fixtures at the sideof the vehicle in connection with the locking mechanism. The operatinghandle, l0, being removable, is only applied at the time of opening orclosing the door, and is kept in charge of the driver. It will beunderstood that the door and lock constructions herein described areequally applicable to motor trucks or trailers,Figure showing a trailermerely by way of illustration.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structureembodying the invention, it will be manifest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention, andthat the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown anddescribed, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a hinged refrigerator door having a pair ofoppositely opening slots trending transversely of the direction in whichthe door opens, and arranged on the free edge thereof, a pair of cranksjoumalled in the jamb in position to enter said slots respectively whensaid crank are rotated, and means for rotating the cranks simultaneouslyinto and out of said slots for looking or releasing the doorrespectively; said means for rotating the cranks including a shaft andgearing connecting said shaft thereto, anautomatic detent for holdingsaid shaft against rotation when the cranks have been rotated intoengagement with the slots, and a re- 'movable operating handle for saidshaft having a part adapted to release said detent when the handle isapplied to the shaft.

2. In a refrigerator, in combination, cooperating closure partsincluding a hinged door and its jamb; locking means comprisingcooperating elements on the door and jamb respectively, one of saidelements being rotatable into and out of engagement with the other; ashaft carried by one of said cooperating closure parts between theplanes of its inner and outer surfaces for rotating the locking elementon said closure part into and out of said engagement; a wheel on saidshaft adjacent one end thereof; means on said closure part arranged toengage said wheel against rotation of the shaft in the direction fordisengagement of said locking elements when the door has been closed,and means operable at will exteriorly of the refrigerator for effectingsaid disengagement.

3. Ida refrigerator, in combination, cooperating closure parts includinga hinged door and its jamb; locking means comprising cooperatingelements on the door and jamb respectively, one of said elements beingrotatable into and out of engagement with the other; a shaft carried byone of said cooperating closure parts between the planes of its innerand outer surfaces for rotating the locking element into and out of saidengagement; a wheel on said shaft adjacent one end thereof;automatically operating means carried by said closure part arranged forengaging said wheel for locking the latter at gaging said wheel-engagingmeans from said wheel.

4. In a refrigerator, in combination, cooperat- -ing closure partsincluding a door and jamb;

locking means comprising cooperating elements on the door and jambrespectively, one of said elements being rotatable into and out ofengagement with the other; a shaft carried by one of said cooperatingclosure parts for rotating the locking element on said closure part intoand out of said engagement; a handle arranged exteriorly of therefrigerator for operating said shaft; a wheel on said shaft adjacentone end thereof; means on said closure part arranged to engage the wheelagainst rotation of the shaft by the handlein the direction fordisengagement of said locking elements when the door is closed, saidhandle being movable axially of the shaft for rotative engagement withand disengagement from the shaft, and being formed and arranged forengaging said wheel-engaging means inthe movement of said'handle forrotative engagement with said shaft to actuate said wheel-engaging meansin the direction for disengagement from the wheel.

5. In a refrigerator, in combination, cooperating closure partsincluding a door and jamb; looking means comprising cooperating elementson the door and jamb respectively, one of said elements being rotatableinto and out of engagement with the other, a shaft carried by one ofsaid cooperating closure parts for rotating the locking element on saidclosure part into and out of said engagement; detent means for holdingthe shaft in position to maintain the locking elements in engagementwith each other; and a handle arranged exteriorly of the refrigeratorfor operating the shaft, said handle being removable and being adaptedto release the detent when applied to the shaft.

6. In a refrigerator, in combination, cooperating closure partsincluding a hinged door and a jamb, locking means comprising cooperatingelements on the door and jamb respectively, one of said elements beingrotatable into and out of engagement with the other in a direction fordrawing the door forcibly to its final closed position, a shaft carriedby one of said cooperating closure parts for rotating the lockingelement on said closure part into and out of said engagement, a wheel onsaid shaft adjacent one end thereof, means on said closure part arrangedto engage said wheel against rotation of the shaft in the direction fordisengagement of said locking elements when the door has been closed,said means being disengageabie at will, said shaft being mountedextending vertically in the closure part for rocking about its axis toactuate the locking element, and an operating handle for said shaft.

LEROY E. WILLIAMS.

